Page 105 of An Archer's Reckoning

Atikus righted himself and stretched his back. “I believe so, but I am more concerned that he is out here and Jess is not with him. I may not know her well, but I am certain she would never leave that horse.”

Dittler perked up at the mention of Jess’s name and snorted, motioning with his head toward the direction from which he’d appeared. When we stared blankly, he bent down, gripped my shirt in his teeth, and yanked.

“All right, all right.” I patted the horse, urging him to release my shirt before it tore. The horse turned, trotted a few strides, and looked back, as if to say, “What are you idiots waiting for? Come on.”

“I think he wants us to follow,” Atikus said.

“I’m so glad I have a wise Mage with me to figure that out.” I laughed and gave Atikus an affectionate prod with my elbow. The old Mage grinned.

Satisfied we followed close behind, Dittler trotted away.

The beach curved before us, forming a small inlet where water pooled and almost stilled. The rocky shore shrank to a footpath only wide enough for one, with a narrow ledge opposite the water.

“Now what? There’s no opening in the rock,” I said, running a hand along the stone’s surface.

Dittler looked back, bared his teeth again, then walkedthroughthe rock.

My jaw dropped. “Atikus . . . Sweet Spirits . . . did you see that? The horse just disappearedintothe rock.”

Atikus nodded and strode past me, as though a horse vanishing into stone was the most natural thing in the world. “It is a magical cave, enchanted by the Mages of old to protect and hide. Of course, they would obscure the entrance.”

He grinned back at me before turning and walking into the rock.

“I’m losing my mind. First, the horse laughs, then he walks through solid rock. What’s next?” I shook my head, trying to decide whether or not to follow Atikus and Dittler.

“Keelan, what are you waiting for?” Jess called from inside the rock with more than a hint of amusement in her voice.

“Well, here goes nothing.” I sucked in a deep breath and threw my body into the rock face.

I stumbled into a massive cavern. Bright crystals covered walls that glowed faintly. If there had only been a few, it would have been too dim to see well, but there were thousands bathing the walls—and the chamber—in an otherworldly radiance.

On one side, starting roughly twenty paces from the entrance, ten cots lined the wall in a neat row. A simple wooden table sat between the head of each cot, while a trunk hinged with ageless brass rested at the foot. On the opposite side of the cave, three round tables were ringed with chairs. A silver pitcher and four goblets rested atop each. At the far end of the chamber, against the back wall, were shelves that rose from floor to ceiling. Books, scrolls, bottles, and jars cluttered the upper shelves, while large barrels and wooden crates filled the lower racks.

I stared from the entrance, awestruck.

“How?” was all I could mutter.

“How what?” Atikus asked, a mischievous grin splitting his bushy white beard and mustache.

“How is all this here? After a thousand years?” I walked to one of the tables and picked up the perfectly polished goblets. Not a fleck of dirt or dust marred their sheen. “Everything looks clean and new. How is this possible?”

“Magic, my boy. Magic. The ancient texts speak of our forefathers having powers we can only dream to wield, much less understand. To them, these feats would have required simple preservation spells.”

Atikus turned to Jess. She sat regally at one of the tables with a goblet in hand and a proud smirk on her face. “What I do not understand is howyoubeat us here. How did you find this place?”

Dittler released a snort-whinny-laugh from the far end of the cave.

Jess spilled some of her wine onto the table.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and smiled up at Atikus. “Dittler and I have—how should I say this? We have come to a better understanding of each other since we saw you last.”

Dittler trotted over to where Jess sat and nuzzled the back of her neck, then looked up at Atikus andwinked.

“Did your horse justwink?” I gaped.

She giggled—the most girlish sound I had heard from the monarch. “Probably. He is how we found the cave. After we slipped away from some roaming Constables, we made it to the coast and started searching for the entrance. Dittler walked right up to it. He did not even hesitate. I knew he was smarter than other horses but had no idea he possessed magical senses.”

“That explains a few things,” Atikus said. “Especially how animals warm to you so quickly. He likely felt the impression of what you sought through your bond.”

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